


Stay

by F1_rabbit



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Firefighters, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-29
Updated: 2016-02-29
Packaged: 2018-05-23 23:43:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6134109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/F1_rabbit/pseuds/F1_rabbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dany had got the chance of his dream job but only if he could find a way to stay in the country. Esteban was sure that he'd renewed his visa, but the papers are staring at him and the deadline has passed.<br/>They both found the same solution to their problem.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dany

**Author's Note:**

  * For [clubforce](https://archiveofourown.org/users/clubforce/gifts), [fasterthanthetardis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fasterthanthetardis/gifts).



Dany hadn't slept well in days, he was trying to put a brave face on it all at uni but it was taking its toll on him. Although everyone at university was in the same situation as him. Well, not quite the same situation, but they were all struggling to find a job. Which was awful, the prospect of not being employed, but for Dany it meant that his visa was no longer valid unless he found a job after he graduated.

He'd been searching for something for weeks, he'd applied to everything and anything, but the deadline was looming and still nothing. Dany looked through the list of jobs to apply for, he wished that there was an easy answer but it looked like he was going to have to make some very difficult decisions in the near future.

At 3 a.m. Dany admitted defeat, crawling to bed after sending out what felt like a hundred e-mails and filling in those endless application forms that for some reason wouldn't allow him just to upload his CV.

He didn't sleep well, his dreams turning into nightmares and he woke with a jolt at five, as the sound of his flatmate getting home startled him.

Dany was sure he looked like a zombie when he went into the kitchen, but he was hoping that the early hour would excuse his appearance, his hoodie wrapped round him like a comfort blanket.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Marcus put the kettle on and started making coffee for both of them.

"No, it's okay. I should really get some more job applications in." Dany rubbed his eyes with his hands, they were all dry and itchy from staring at the screen so much.

Marcus handed him the cup and he felt like just breaking down, telling Marcus everything, but it wouldn't do any good, it would only make Marcus feel bad when there was nothing that he could do to help. But coffee was a start, it would at least make him feel a little less tired. "Thanks."

Dany slunk back to his room as Marcus headed for the shower, he was going to be asleep for the rest of the day, being a rookie firefighter meant that he got all the worst shifts, although Dany was glad to see him, they'd been flatmates and friends for a couple of years now and just his presence was calming. A little glimmer of normality in his otherwise chaotic life.

*

Dany was cowering in his room, desperately trying to figure out how he could get a legal job in less than a week. He wasn't picky when he started looking but now he was trying to work out if working as an 'escort' was legal enough to count for his visa.

He couldn't believe the universe could be so cruel as to give him a break for four years, give him a glimmer of hope. Dany had started to believe that a better future was possible, that he could have a good life, one that he was happy with. But now it seemed he was going home to his family.

All night he spent sending off job applications, including the one looking for young guys to work as escorts, he was sure that he could tolerate it. Anything would be better than having to go home.

The front door clicked open and Dany wiped the tears from his cheeks, bolting for the shower so that Marcus wouldn't see him cry. He couldn't let him know what was going on.

Dany let the warm water of the shower soothe him, taking away his worries for fifteen minutes before he had to face the cool morning air and the reality of his situation.

As he wandered through to the kitchen, towel wrapped around his skinny waist, Marcus had a cup of coffee waiting for him and toast. Dany couldn't remember the last time that he'd eaten, but he was so glad that Marcus was here, as he was sure that without him he wouldn't have eaten at all.

"Thanks." Dany took a deep breath so that his hands didn't shake when he held the cup, its warmth was comforting, and Marcus' smile, even after a long shift, made him feel a little better.

"A friend said that they're looking for people with computer skills for their IT department." Marcus munched on his toast, wolfing it down as he sipped at his coffee. "It's for the police headquarters, managing all their servers and databases."

Dany nodded, that kind of job would no doubt be perfect for him, but it was unlikely that they were looking for people to start in the next six days. Even if he applied, it would probably be that long before anyone looked at the applications. "When's the closing date?"

"End of the month, so you've got plenty of time to write a sparkling application." Marcus laughed and Dany felt the tears welling up in his eyes again.

"I'll go have a look at it now. Thanks mate." Dany scurried out of the kitchen, clutching his towel as he retreated to his room, the tears now streaming down his face. He curled up in a ball on his bed and tried not to make a sound, just letting the tears flow until his head was pounding and his stomach was twisted into knots.

He couldn't understand how the world was so cruel, dangling his dream job in front of him knowing that it was too late for him to do anything about it. But that pain was nothing compared to the pain of having to go home, having to face his family after all these years and admit defeat. At this point the option of just living on the streets seemed preferable to that.

*

Dany wrote a letter, he couldn't face telling Marcus about all of it but he wanted Marcus not to look for him. The letter said that he was going home and that he'd contact him once he was back there. It was all lies. He was just going to run, disappear in the night and hope that the authorities didn't catch up with him, and deport him.

There were tears streaming down his face and he left the letter in the kitchen, by the kettle so Marcus would find it when he went to make his coffee. He grabbed his bag, when he heard the sound of the front door being opened and he froze in fright.

Marcus was there at the kitchen door, scratch on his forehead and his arm in a sling. He must have been injured at work.

"I'm sorry." Dany thrust the letter into his hand, before rushing past him, unable to look Marcus in the eye.

"Dany, wait." Marcus grabbed at his wrist and even though he was shorter he was stronger than Dany. "Talk to me."

Dany crumpled into a heap on the floor, Marcus holding him as he cried, stroking his back until he was calm enough to talk.

Marcus looked at the letter, opening it carefully before reading it. "None of this is true, is it? You're not going home, or you'd be taking more than just a rucksack. Tell me what's going on."

"I…" Dany sniffed and he saw the mess of tears that he'd left on Marcus' jacket, which made him cry all over again. "My visa's expiring unless I get a job. And I can't find one, I'm not even fit to work as an escort."

Marcus held him tight, he didn't want to tell him the rest, he didn't want his pity, but he could see the way Marcus was looking at him and he couldn't stop the words from coming out. He told him all about his family, how they'd disowned him when they found out he was gay. His father had told him he could only come back if he was willing to marry a woman, settle down and have a family, and Dany didn't want any of that. But if he went home his family would find him, sooner or later.

"I'm sorry. I know someone who works with asylum seekers, I can ask them for advice." Marcus squeezed Dany until he thought his ribs were going to crack. "But first coffee." And for the first time in months, Dany laughed.

Marcus helped him up, escorting him to a seat as though they were at a fancy restaurant. He watched Dany closely as he made breakfast, and he didn't blame Marcus for it, he just didn't want him to run away. He didn't want to run away either, but it had felt like his only choice.

The coffee had three sugars in and Dany could feel the caffeine doing its job, clearing away the cobwebs as he started to feel like his old self again. Hopeful.

Marcus gave him another hug, and Dany wondered why he hadn't told Marcus before, let him help before things got this bad. But he was glad that he had someone on his side.

"I'm going to call my friend, see what she says." Marcus wandered out into the hallway to make the call, guarding the door in case he made a break for it, but Dany was too tired to do that. He just wanted his nice quiet life back.

Marcus wandered back into the kitchen, with a smile on his face and Dany felt a surge of happiness. "Do you have a suit?" Marcus asked, and Dany wanted to ask why, but he didn't care, as long as it would help him stay in the country. He drank the last of his coffee before scurrying through to his room, looking out his one suit that he had for job interviews, complete with tie. Dany was so happy that it was clean, he wanted to make a good impression, he needed all the support that he could get right now.

Dany was adjusting his tie when Marcus stuck his head round the door. "Do you have all your documents?"

"Yes." Dany held up the folder, it had everything he would need to get his visa. Marcus came up to him and straighten his tie, and he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. "Thank you."

Marcus took his hand and they headed for the train station, Dany felt like the air was clearer and the sun warmer than it had been in a while, he was no longer lurking in the shadows.

*

They walked through the centre of town until they came to a large building, old and grand.

"Is this the courthouse?" Dany was confused, was Marcus' friend going to ask a judge for special treatment so that he could stay?

"No, city hall." Marcus stopped walking as the approached the little garden surrounding it. "We're here for a marriage licence."

Dany felt dizzy, he thought that he was going to be able to stay but now they were just on a wild goose chase. "How will this help?"

"If we get married, then you won't have to go home." Marcus rummaged around in his pocket before producing a ring and sliding it on to Dany's finger. "It was my great-grandmother's." Marcus slid a near identical ring on his finger before taking Dany's hands. "I know this is probably not what you had in mind when you thought about getting married one day, but I like living with you, and I know that we can make it work."

A tear ran down Dany's cheek, he couldn't believe that Marcus would do this for him and the fact that he would be willing to give up something as sacred as marriage just to help him out was the most kind and wonderful thing. "Thank you."

"So, are you ready to be Mr Ericsson?" Marcus laughed as he took Dany's hand, it felt amazing to know that just one person cared about him so much that they would do almost anything to make sure that he was safe.


	2. Esteban

Esteban could have sworn that he filled out the paper work and sent it away but here it was, in his hands. And the deadline had already passed. He had no choice but to go home for three months and reapply for his visa from there.

It was a shame, he liked his job, he'd worked hard to get it, and to get promoted but now he was going to have to give it all up. Because no visa meant no job. And the company didn't have an office in Mexico.

He couldn't believe that he'd been so stupid, that something so trivial would see him losing a good job and all the friends that he'd made here.

But he'd decided to keep it a secret and when the time came to leave he was going to tell work it was a family emergency and ask for an unpaid sabbatical, if he was lucky he could come back in three months with a sob story and walk back into his nice life. If work would do that for him, and there was no guarantee of that.

Nico wandered into his office, making Esteban jump and hide the papers under a stack of other papers.

"Are you coming on the nineteenth?" Nico asked, and Esteban blinked at him a few times trying to work out if he would still be here in four weeks. He wouldn't. His visa expired on the sixteenth of August and he had to be out of the country by that point. "My birthday? We're all heading to the theme park for the day." Nico smiled, and Esteban was going to miss that.

"Sure." Esteban hoped that his smile seemed sincere and that Nico wouldn't be too upset when he didn't show. It felt like his whole life was coming to an end, and it was all his own fault.

*

The flight was booked for the fourteenth, leaving late at night so that he could finish on the Friday and make it seem plausible that this was the first flight that he could get home.

Esteban had started giving all of his things away, and he was glad that he only had to give a month's notice on his flat, although if he would have paid to the end of his contract if that was what it took. He knew he could just leave the country, leave all his bills but he was hopeful that he'd be back here soon, that he'd be able to pick up where he left off after a few months.

He was looking through all the photos of his time here, so many happy memories, and he was really going to miss Nico, but he couldn't bear to burden him with any of this. He was relieved that most of his memories were stored electronically which meant that he didn't have to worry about losing any of his photos, it was all he would have left. So now it was a case of deciding what he wanted to keep, and what was light enough to take on the flight home.

He'd been taking boxes of his winter clothes down to the local charity shops and he sold all of his skiing gear. It was too bulky to take on the plane anyway. Esteban looked at all his plants, maybe his neighbours would want them? Or he could just leave them on the balcony and hope that it rained enough to keep them going until the next tenants moved in.

Esteban caught sight of an orchid, it should have stopped flowering long ago but there were still beautiful lilac flowers hanging from its stalk. Nico had bought it for him as a birthday present, along with some beer that they'd sat and drank on the balcony, it had been a lovely evening.

There were tears running down his cheeks, he didn't want to leave this life, as selfish as it sounded he didn't want to go home. He'd worked so hard and one stupid mistake had ruined it all. The worst thing of all was that he felt he deserved this misery, maybe he would be better off at home, at least his parents would always be there to make sure he didn't mess up.

*

Esteban had been called up to the boss' office, and he was sure that she must have found out that his visa was expiring. Why else would she want to see Esteban?

When he strolled into Monisha's office he was surprised to see so many people standing around, and he had to fight the urge to run, what if they were law enforcement, although his visa hadn't expired yet.

He took a deep breath and steadied himself, he wanted to make sure that the words came out without his voice trembling. "You wanted to see me?"

"We've been watching you for a while." Monisha's smile sent fear through Esteban's body and he was sure that they knew, that they were going to fire him so that there would be no chance of him ever coming back to work here. No hope of him getting his life back.

Esteban nodded, he wasn't sure what the proper response was. He was close to just blurting it all out, telling Monisha everything and begging her not to fire him, to let him have a second chance.

"And we think that you'd be perfect to head up the new project." Monisha was staring at Esteban, waiting for him to say something but he was so surprised that he'd been given the promotion. He wasn't expecting it, and he definitely wasn't planning for it. Although he wasn't going to be around to actually work on the new project, but this definitely gave him hope that if he went home for three months, he would still have a good job to come back to.

Esteban felt tears rising and he had to force on a smile, he had cost himself a good job, and a nice life. But for now he had to act like everything was fine. Little did they know that in just over a week's time Esteban would be on a flight home, unable to return for three months.

There were hugs all round and Esteban was introduced to his new team. He spoke at length about what his plans were for the project but it felt like it was someone else saying all those things, someone that was going to be here to actually do it, although he knew that it would fall to one of his colleagues to take lead of this project. Maybe he should get Nico up to speed on it, under the guise of asking for advice. And then when he left he could let Monisha know that he was the best guy for the job, it seemed the least he could do for Nico, considering how kind he'd been to him.

He slunk back to his office after the meeting, drained and exhausted, cursing his luck.

*

The weekend had been a blur for Esteban, his flat was now empty apart from a few clothes and books. The furniture belonged to the flat so that meant he wasn't having to sleep on the floor and he still had plates to eat off but the rest had gone. He had enough clothes to get him through the week but that was about it.

Esteban was trying to make sure that everything he was working on someone else could take over easily if he was to leave. He'd mentioned to a few people around the office that his mum hadn't been well lately, so the groundwork for his 'family emergency' had been set up. Friday he was going to come into work with tears in his eyes, although they wouldn't be fake, and head straight up to Monisha's office before asking for permission to go home, with a promise that he would return as soon as his mum was better.

He'd researched things that would explain a three month absence, and hoped that he wasn't tempting fate by wishing any of these things on his mum. If anyone should be punished it was him, although the stress of it all was torture enough.

The report with the overview of his project was completed, he reached into the drawer to get the hole punch and that was when he saw a small box, neatly wrapped with a bow on top.

Nico's birthday present.

Just the sight of it brought tears to his eyes, it felt like he was always on the brink of tears at the moment. He was going to give it to Nico on Friday as he said his goodbyes, but now the thought of facing Nico was too much. Maybe he should just leave it in his office, he was sure that Nico would understand. He could phone from home to wish him a happy birthday.

The tears were falling down his cheek and he couldn't stop them. He was glad that it was nearly the end of the day, he could just hide here until everyone else had gone home.

*

Esteban stared at his near empty cupboards, he was starting to get bored of rice and beans, but it was all he had left. He wasn't even hungry but he knew that he had to eat. Just as he put a lid on the pan, there was a knock on the door and he jumped, lately every little thing had sent him into a panic, worried that his time was up.

He turned the heat down, leaving the rice to simmer before taking a deep breath, and opening the door.

Nico.

"What are you doing here?" Esteban didn't mean to sound ungrateful, but he wasn't sure that he could keep it all together in front of Nico for long enough.

"Can I come in?" Nico's voice was soft, and Esteban wanted to tell him everything, have Nico hold him in his big strong arms and tell him that it was all going to be okay.

"Do you want a coffee?" Esteban headed for the kitchen, not waiting for Nico to answer.

Nico followed him, standing right behind him as he waited for the kettle to boil. "I went past your office and you looked really upset. I came to find you after my meeting but you'd already gone."

Esteban froze, his heart rate shot up and he didn't know what to say. "It was just a long day today."

"Sam in accounting said that your mum wasn't well." Nico rested his hand on his shoulder and Esteban could feel the tears pouring down his cheek, he couldn't stand like this forever, he had to tell Nico. But not the truth, that was too painful.

"Yeah, it's not looking good. I might have to go home for a while." Esteban let out a sob and Nico turned him around, wiping at his tears with his thumb before letting him cuddle in.

"I'm sorry." Nico held him for a while, his soft hair tickling at Esteban's cheek as the tears slowed and his breathing returning to normal.

Esteban didn't know what wayward thought convinced him to kiss Nico, but his lips were on Nico's and it felt amazing, he couldn't believe he'd waited so long to do this. But he knew that the only reason he was brave enough was because he'd be gone in less than a week, so no matter what happened he wouldn't have to face the consequences.

"I'd miss you if you went home." Nico went in for another kiss, and Esteban wished that he could wrap himself up in this moment. All his worries, all his anger, kissed away by Nico's soft lips. But it was only a temporary respite from reality.

The tears started flowing again and Nico held him tight, telling him that it would all be okay, and that he would still be here when he got back from Mexico. That was the final straw, Esteban had no idea if he would ever be coming back, and now, knowing that it would mean leaving not only his good job and his nice life, but also the chance of a relationship with Nico. Well, that was more than his heart could take.

"I'm so stupid." Esteban was shaking his head, unable to believe that one mistake was going to cost him so much, it didn't seem fair, although if there was one thing his mum had taught him it was life wasn't fair, so he just had to do the best with what he had.

"No you're not, if you have to go home because of your family then you do. It's what makes you a good guy." Nico kissed away his tears but his kind words only made him cry more.

"My mum's not sick." Esteban was sobbing now, wailing against Nico's shoulder. Why was he telling Nico all of this? Was it a way of sabotaging their friendship? Their relationship? Would it be easier to go home if Nico didn't like him anymore? Esteban didn't know why he was telling Nico, but now that he'd started talking he just wanted to get it all out. He was sick of all these thoughts swirling around his head, harassing him for all these weeks, now he just wanted rid of them.

"What happened?" Nico was looking at him with wide eyes, he was sure that he was expecting a death in the family or something equally tragic. _Not I'm an idiot that forgot to renew my visa and now it's too late._

"I forgot to renew my visa and now the deadline has passed so I have to go home for three months and reapply from there." Esteban took a deep breath before more sobs came out, he was sure that Nico wouldn't want him anymore.

But Nico only held him tighter, stroking his hair and letting him cry it all out while he murmured little words of comfort in German. Esteban didn't understand most of it but the soothing tone of voice was all that mattered right now.

Nico waited until he was calm before speaking. "Is there a way to appeal?"

"No. I just have to go home and reapply from there." Esteban shoved Nico away, there was the smell of burning and he realised that he'd forgotten all about his dinner. He rushed across to the pan and when he lifted the lid smoke billowed out of it. Esteban switched the hob off and took the pan over to the sink, pouring cold water into it to make sure it didn't decide to catch fire, he couldn't take any more chaos in his life.

Esteban groaned, slumping down on the floor and Nico took the pan out of his hand, leaving it to rest on the cold part of the stove. "I was craving pizza anyway, want to share some with me?"

Nico pulled out his phone and ordered pizza while Esteban sat on the floor, he was sure that it was the safest course of action. At least down here he couldn't cause anymore chaos. Nico managed to coax him up and get him as far as the sofa, so that they could be comfy while they ate.

Esteban watched in fascination as Nico ate, when the food had arrived he'd thought that there must have been a mistake, but then Nico had eaten a whole pizza, some chicken wings, a garlic bread pizza that Nico had called small but it was larger than a dinner plate, and he was now finishing up what was left of Esteban's pizza.

"You should get some sleep, and I'll see you tomorrow. I promise I'll help you find a way to sort this all out." Nico leant in for a kiss, the taste of the spicy wings still lingered on his lips.

"Stay. Hold me while I fall asleep." Esteban didn't care if he sounded needy or clingy, he only had a few days left with Nico and he didn't want to waste a single second.

"Sure." Nico took his hand, letting Esteban lead the way to the bedroom. Esteban had expected it to be awkward, but Nico took the initiative by stripping out of his clothes, leaving only his boxers on.

Once they were comfy in bed, Nico asked, "Can I use your laptop? There's a couple of e-mails I need to send."

Esteban nodded, before curling up against Nico, and he quickly fell asleep. All his worries faded away just because Nico was here beside him. He got a good night's sleep, none of the usual nightmares plaguing him and he felt better for it, like he could actually cope with the problems in his life. Esteban woke up to the soft hum of the laptop fan and the click of the keys. Nico looked like he hadn't slept but even with the slight wrinkle around his eyes he was still the most gorgeous man that Esteban had ever seen.

"Marry me." Nico kissed him on the cheek. "Marry me and then you can stay."

"What?" Esteban groped around for his glasses and saw that Nico must have sat up all night trawling the internet trying to find a solution for him.

"Let's call in sick and get married today. In fact, I know we've both got holidays and I'm sure Sam could put it in the system for us, no questions asked."

"Are you serious?" It all felt surreal to Esteban, it seemed like a dream come true but he wasn't sure if it would actually work. Although was he going to say no to Nico's proposal? Even if he wasn't at risk of going home, he was sure that he'd have said yes if Nico asked.

"Yes. But only if you want to." Nico held his hand, stroking the side of it with his thumb which was sending sparks through Esteban's body, but he couldn't worry about that right now, because it seemed like his guardian angel had heard his prayers and had sent him a solution, in the form of a beautiful German dork. "I know this is really early to be talking about marriage. I want you to know that I would do this for you as a friend. But if you want a relationship, I wouldn't want to rush it."

"Yes, I want all of it." It was everything Esteban wanted to hear, and it felt like it was too good to be true. But he knew that he wanted a relationship with Nico, one that ended in marriage. So would it really make any difference if it started in marriage, he never was one for doing things in the right order, it was what made him good at handling large projects, he could break it down, tackle bits as needed.

But this problem had seemed so insurmountable that he couldn't think clearly about it. He was just glad that he had Nico by his side, someone who could see the problem without freaking out about it, and better still, was able to find a solution for him.

"Do you have a nice suit?" Nico asked, and it shook Esteban out of his thoughts, he wasn't thinking about the actual ceremony. He assumed it would just be paperwork. But the thought of holding Nico's hand as they got married actually made his heart flutter and even though he was sure that they'd both face jail if they were caught, he was sure that it would be the happiest day of his life.

"I don't, I gave away everything because I couldn't take it home." Esteban bit his lip, how could he have been so rash? He should have told Nico earlier, if nothing else he could have kept hold of some of Esteban's stuff, at least that way if he'd come back he wouldn't have to start over. But he could worry about all that later, he still had his work suits.

"What's happening to your flat?" Nico was glancing around, he must have noticed that there was hardly any furniture, or possessions of any kind.

"Lease is going to be terminated at the end of the month but he said I could have my security deposit back in full if I handed the keys over on the fourteenth." Esteban sighed, he'd been making nothing but bad decision after bad decision for weeks now, and looking back on it all he couldn't work out why. But the stress had been destroying him.

"Grab all your things, we'll drop the keys off on the way to mine. We're going to have to live together anyway, if we want people to believe that our marriage is…"

Esteban knew that he wanted to say 'real' but they were both too far gone to tell each other that it was just a sham marriage. It may not be the way other people would want to do things but he wanted Nico in his life, he'd been so obsessed with Nico and his perfect blond mane before he'd been so stressed out with the thought of going home that there had been no space for anything else in his mind.

"Our marriage, will be whatever we make it," Esteban said. And he meant every word of it.

It took him a pathetically short amount of time to gather his meagre possessions. His landlord seemed grateful to see Esteban, and he was just happy to get his security deposit back. Esteban was glad that he wasn't causing any problems for them, he wasn't sure that he could take anymore guilt for a while.

Nico's place was immaculate as always, it had the feeling of a showroom rather than a place that someone actually lived, but Nico was the same at work, washing cups the second he was done with him and making sure that his desk was always in order, unlike the mountain of papers that Esteban acquired.

There was a guest room, but Nico took Esteban's bags to his bedroom, before clearing some space in his wardrobe and chest of drawers so that he could unpack. Nico then picked out two suits and lay them on the bed.

"I think this one will look amazing on you." Nico found out a shirt that needed cufflinks and a silk tie that was a deep velvet red colour, which matched the lining of the suit jacket. He leant in for a kiss and Esteban found himself staring in disbelief, he didn't deserve this, but he was ever so grateful that he was in this position.

"Thank you." Esteban sniffed back a tear and Nico kissed him more, soft lips making everything feel better until he was breathless and dizzy.

"Do you want to get a shower?" Nico's smile was dazzling, but Esteban was aware that this was the opposite of taking things slow. "Without me. I still need to call Sam. And it would be nice to get breakfast before we head down to city hall."

Esteban laughed, trust Nico to think about food before everything else. But breakfast did sound like a good idea.

It didn't take him long to feel human again, the warm water of the shower and a nice cup of coffee made everything feel right. When he looked at himself in the mirror, complete with suit, he felt like a new person. A happy person.

Nico drove, parking near the city hall and he took Esteban's hand, their fingers intertwined as Esteban felt a surge of anxiety. What if they couldn't get married today? What if they thought it was suspicious?

Esteban pushed all his worries down as they strolled in to city hall, both smiling as they prepared to start their life together.


	3. Marry Me?

"That's fine, do you have witnesses?" the clerk asked, and Dany couldn't believe that something so simple was getting in the way of this. He could feel the panic rising and Marcus squeezed his hand tighter.

"Witnesses?" Dany looked behind them to see two other guys waiting, both in nice suits, so it was a fair bet that they were here to get married. "Give me a minute."

Dany wandered up to them, he could see the confusion on their faces, but this was no time for worrying, he just needed to get married today.

"Hi, are you here to get married?" The men were a similar height to him and the dark haired one looked at the blond haired one.

"Yes?" the blond one answered.

"We didn't realise that we needed witnesses and I was wondering if you two would be happy to do it. We could return the favour."

"Yes, I didn't think about witnesses." The blond one gave Dany a hug, and the dark haired man seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Thank you." Dany thanked a god he didn't believe in for helping him out. He was starting to panic, but it was all going to be okay.

*

They were waiting for their turn, Nico and Esteban had introduced themselves and Dany felt like an imposter. The way Esteban looked at Nico; that was true love.

Dany felt like he had a sign above his head saying 'getting married for a visa' but even though it was a sham, he was going to be the best husband to Marcus, he deserved nothing less after being so kind to him, it was the least he could do.

Marcus was one of the only people in the world that he'd trusted with his secret, and now that it was out, now that he was out, it felt like today he was starting a new life.

"So how did you two meet?" Nico asked, and Dany's blood ran cold, but luckily Marcus was the one to answer.

"I'm a fire fighter." That was met with nods of approval and Dany felt himself relax. "And I got a call out one night, to the university, and there was Dany. Trying to put out a chip pan fire that his drunk friend had started." Dany smiled and held Marcus' hand a little tighter, he was sure that he knew where this story was going. "I got them both outside, and he was standing there in the freezing rain wearing only his pyjamas. So, I got him and his friend a blanket, it was all handled in no time and everyone was allowed back into the building. I never thought anymore about it."

"Then a few days later, I went into the fire station to return the blankets, and to give him a cake that I'd made to say thank you." Dany was glad that Marcus had chosen a story that he'd heard many times, it was the story of how Kevin had met his girlfriend.

"We went to get a coffee and the rest is history." Marcus gave Dany a kiss on the cheek and he felt them get warm, he wasn't used to public displays of affection. In fact, he wasn't used to affection at all. But he was going to have to start getting used to it.

"How did you two meet?" Marcus asked, and Dany cuddled in next to him, he was sure that they both looked tired, but he just wanted to be comfy for a bit.

"Uh, we work together," Nico said, and Esteban nodded.

"The second I saw that smile, I knew I was in love." Esteban looked up at Nico and there was so much love and admiration in their smiles that Dany could see why it was love at first sight. "We went to the planetarium for our first date, under the stars."

"I would have taken you on the most awesome first date," Nico said, "I mean, it was the most awesome first date."

Esteban bit his lip and Dany knew why they were here. "I forgot to renew my visa, so…" Esteban looked around as though he was looking for the exit and Dany knew he was thinking about running. That he was going through the same emotional turmoil as he was.

"My student visa expires tomorrow, without a job, I would have to go home." Dany's voice was barely more than a whisper, but he wasn't sure who might be listening. He put a hand out to comfort Esteban, his icy fingers resting over his. "You're lucky to have a friend who would do this for you."

Marcus held Dany a little tighter and Nico gave Esteban a kiss, a real kiss, so they were more than friends, but it was the need for a visa that had motivated them.

They all jumped when the registrar came through to tell them it was their turn, before laughing in relief.

Dany and Marcus were up first, and Dany felt like running, he knew that he shouldn't let Marcus do this for him. He was worried that he was only going to cause him trouble, like he did for everyone else in his life. But Marcus was holding his hand tight and leading him up to the front of the room as Nico and Esteban smiled at them.

Somehow, having people there made it seem real and Dany found a smile, a genuine smile. He was so grateful to have a friend like Marcus.

There was none of the long speeches that weddings in films had, it was simple and efficient, which was more than enough for their purposes. Dany was on autopilot, he didn't remember what was said, all he remembered was the feeling of joy.

When Marcus slid the ring on his finger, Dany felt tears well up in his eyes, even though their marriage was a fake the ring signified so much. The fact that Marcus would do this for him with no thought for himself, or the fact that he could get into trouble, or even the fact that he wasn't going to be dating for the next three years without exposing their fraud.

He couldn't believe what Marcus was giving up for him, he was so selfless, and he felt like he had nothing to offer in return.

Dany had fumbled with the ring as he slid it onto Marcus' finger, unable to stop his hands shaking, but once it was on he saw Marcus' smile and it made everything right. Marcus' lips were pressed against his and it was nice, comforting. And a little bit of his mind wondered if, in another universe, they were actually a couple, it had all fallen into place so easily. But he reminded himself that they weren't, Marcus was just a friend doing him a huge favour. Although Dany knew Marcus was bi, but Dany had no experience at all with relationships, and he didn't want to do anything that would upset their arrangement, for he was the one who would get deported if they were found out.

Dany's legs were trembling as they went to sit back down, waiting for Nico and Esteban to walk up to the front of the small room. There wasn't space for more than twelve or fifteen people but there was something nice and cosy about it.

Esteban had watched Dany and Marcus get married with tears in his eyes, he was a sucker for weddings, but that wasn't the reason. He felt so bad for Dany, the way he'd talked about going home, Esteban was sure that something awful was waiting for him. Whereas he loved going home to see his family, but he loved the opportunities and the jobs here. He felt like such a fraud, he should have just gone home and dealt with the consequences of his actions, but now he was here, holding Nico's hand, about to be his husband. It didn't matter what it had taken to get them here, Esteban was sure that they could make this marriage work.

"Do you, Esteban, take Nico, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"Do you, Nico, take Esteban, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"You may exchange the rings."

Finding two rings at short notice had been surprisingly easy, they'd stopped at a local jewellers and walked out with two plain silver bands. Esteban had expected it to be more difficult, but he wasn't sure why he had that impression. Although it was made easier by the fact that neither of them were picky, they just needed something to make their marriage look like it wasn't motivated by the need for a visa.

"You are now officially married, congratulations."

Nico and Esteban's kiss was much showier, they looked like a real couple in love, and Dany squeezed Marcus' hand even tighter. Dany was surprised at how quickly the ceremony was over, the rush of nerves had made theirs seem much longer. But he was glad that it was all over.

The four of them had strolled out into the warm summer air, the relief clear for all to see.

"How about we get lunch, to celebrate?" Nico said, and Esteban laughed.

*

It was no surprise to Esteban that they ended up at an all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant. But the food was cheap and plentiful, even if he was sure that Nico's shirt would not survive the meal.

Dany was happy to have people to celebrate their marriage with, somehow having Nico and Esteban with them made it feel real.

"So what do you two do?" Marcus asked, as he ate another forkful of rice.

Nico and Esteban went to answer at the same time before laughing. "Architecture and construction management. Hinwil Construction."

"That big building by the university swimming pool?" Dany had been past it many times, it was up near the university and he had passed it almost daily for the last term.

"Yeah, it's a good job. I've just been put in charge of a big project." Esteban looked happy when he said it, although Dany knew that feeling, he'd stopped planning for his future, so now that he had one, it was a pleasant surprise.

The conversation was easy and Dany told them all about the job he was going to apply for. Marcus looked so proud of him, and he knew that this was going to work. They might not love each other in a romantic way, but Dany loved Marcus, trusted him and that was enough to build a marriage on.

Marcus paid for Dany's lunch and he felt a stab of guilt, his student loan had run out and he hadn't really planned any further than this.

"I'm not sure I'll ever be able to repay you for your kindness," Dany said, it had been on his mind for a while and he just needed to get it out.

"You're my best friend and I love you, I'd do anything to keep you safe and make you happy." Marcus held him tight and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"You're going to have a better marriage than most of the people I know," Nico said, before looking at Esteban. "We're going to have a better marriage than most of the people I know."

***

Nico and Esteban went back to work the next day, and told everyone that they had been dating for a while and now they were married. Only Sam gave them a funny look but all Nico had to mutter was something about his parents not approving.

"Pity, you're a cute couple," Sam said, "Also when are you bringing the wedding cake in?" Sam laughed at his own joke, Nico's relationship with food was legendary.

"We didn't get a cake." Nico realised he'd missed an opportunity, but he was going to be getting birthday cake very soon. "I'll bring one in for my birthday."

"Esteban looks happier than he has in weeks." Sam sipped at his coffee as they watched Esteban chatting away, telling everyone how proud he was of his new husband. At least they'd been very good friends before getting married, most of their hanging out time could be considered dates, which made it much easier for convincing everyone that they'd been secretly dating for a year now. As to why they'd decided a year, why it seemed like a reasonable length of time, Nico had no idea, although it did seem to lend weight to their story, in a way that months probably wouldn't have.

"He is. It's all worked out nicely." Nico winced at his choice of words. _Is that would people would say after they get married, does it sound suspicious?_ But he didn't see any trace of confusion on Sam's face. "I love him, he loves me, and that's all that's important." Nico knew that he loved Esteban, but he wasn't sure if he felt the same, not yet, but there was no rush. They had the rest of their lives together.

"Are you keeping your flat or are you going to buy somewhere together?" Sam asked.

"Esteban's lease came to an end recently, so my flat is now ours, and there's plenty of space for both of us." Nico fidgeted with his coffee cup when he had a great idea. "We're going to have one big, wedding-flatwarming-birthday party on the twentieth. With lots of cake."

Sam laughed. "I'd expect nothing less from you."

***

Time seemed to race by for Esteban. They'd kept in touch with Marcus and Dany, and invited them to the party, it was going to be nice to have everyone around to help them celebrate Nico's birthday, and their marriage.

There were two cakes sitting on the worktop, one chocolate, for Nico, and one sponge cake filled with raspberry jam and covered in white icing, which Esteban had put little hearts on.

Esteban was cooking dinner, the snacks already made for their guests and he'd wanted to make something special for Nico's birthday. He'd got his mum's old recipe for quesadillas and he was sure that Nico would love it. As he flipped them over, Nico appeared and gave him a kiss on the back of his neck, wrapping his arms around Esteban's waist, it was nice having Nico pressed up against him, until he realised that he had ulterior motives. Nico stole one of the quesadillas out of the pan, realised it was scalding hot and dropped it again before clutching his hand.

Esteban turned the hob off, they were pretty much cooked anyway and took Nico across to the sink, making him hold his burnt fingers under the cold water.

"They have to stay there until they're numb with the cold." Esteban gave Nico a kiss on his nose, before putting the food on a plate. "And I guess I'll just have to feed you."

Nico smiled and Esteban fed him little bites of the quesadilla while he waited for his burn to be soothed by the cold water. Esteban couldn't believe that this idiot was his husband, and he was loving every minute of it.

*

Dany was finishing his job application as Marcus got a shower, he wanted it finished before they went out to Nico's party. He couldn't believe that he was planning for his future, applying for a job that he really wanted, and him and Marcus had fallen into a nice pattern.

Dany had moved all of his things into Marcus' room so that they looked like a 'real' couple, and Dany had to admit that having someone to curl up next to each night was nice. Having a spare room had proved useful when Kevin had split up with his girlfriend and needed somewhere to live.

Kevin hadn't been surprised that they were married, in fact he'd assumed that they were a couple for a while. And if he had any thoughts about it being a sham marriage, well, he was a good friend and didn't voice any of them.

It had only been a few days that Kevin had been living with them, although from the sound of it, he was unlikely to be getting back together with her. Dany was trying to be supportive, but he had no experience with relationships. Most of his comfort seemed to revolve around cooking for Kevin, which he was happy to do, although he was surprised that a grown man couldn't make anything more complicated than pasta or toast.

But if nothing else it was nice to have someone else around to talk to, and supporting Kevin through his break up did make him feel useful. Although Marcus had done nothing but make him feel loved and supported, and this was the least he could do to try and repay him.

The application was finished and Dany checked that it was saved, and backed up, so that he could check it over tomorrow before sending it.

He heard the front door open and close, his heart sped up and he felt a smile creep onto his face, just knowing that Marcus was home made everything better.

Marcus came into their room and he wrapped his arms around Dany, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "How's the application going?"

Dany relaxed into Marcus, luxuriating in the feeling of being wrapped up by him. "Done. I'll check it in the morning and then send it."

"I'm so proud of you." Marcus gave him another kiss on the cheek and Dany felt a nice warm fuzzy feeling inside, he felt safe and loved. Dany kissed Marcus' arm that was wrapped around him and he didn't want to move, but then Kevin wandered in.

"There's no hot water." Kevin looked apologetic for barging in, Marcus gave Dany another kiss on the cheek, and to Dany it felt like his lips lingered, but he wasn't sure if he was just imagining it. Marcus sighed and went to reset the boiler, it was becoming more and more temperamental but the rental agency weren't going to fix it until it was actually broken.

Dany was lying out on the bed reading when Marcus wandered back in, just a little towel wrapped around his waist, and he tried not to stare as Marcus got dressed. He had to keep telling himself that Marcus was just a friend, who was doing him a huge favour.

*

Esteban spotted Dany from across a crowded room, he looked lost and Marcus was nowhere to be seen. He wandered his way across to Dany, having to speak to everyone on the way through, all wanting to congratulate him on his marriage, which felt strange. Esteban was glad that he was shy, so that people would have no idea the reason he was blushing, guilt.

He felt like he'd cheated the system, not just about the visa, but with Nico. He'd cheated his way into Nico's life, into his heart.

"Hi. Having fun?" Esteban watched as relief washed over Dany and he knew that Dany would be happier somewhere quieter. "Want to come help me in the kitchen?"

"Sure." Dany followed Esteban, glad to be out of the crowd, and once they were outside he felt his heart rate drop and his breathing return to normal.

"How's married life treating you?" Esteban asked, he was joking but when he heard Dany sigh, he knew he'd picked a bad topic of conversation.

"Good. Marcus is a good friend."

Esteban heard the way Dany said friend, it was the way he used to say it about Nico, with all the longing and frustration packed into those six little letters. Although from the way Marcus had eyed up the waitress when they went out to lunch, he was sure that Dany might not be as lucky as him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Esteban put his hand over Dany's and he heard Dany sniffle, tears running down his face.

"I never thought I would have this, someone who cared, and now, I'm scared to say anything in case it ruins our friendship." Dany wiped away his tears but Esteban could still hear the pain in his voice. "I need him."

"He clearly cares about you, otherwise he wouldn't have married you." Esteban held his hand tight. "As for a relationship, just take things slow and see where they go." He wasn't sure it was the best advice, but he didn't know what else to say, he really wanted things to work out for them, he felt like they were all bonded together now, their fates interlinked.

"Thank you. I just don't have anyone else to talk to about these things. Everyone thinks that we've been a couple for a while but that we're only just out."

"Same here. I feel like a fraud." Esteban accepted Dany's hug, he told him everything about how he was feeling, how he felt like he didn't deserve it.

"The way Nico looks at you, that's true love. The first time I saw you I could see how much you loved each other." Dany held him tighter, glad to have someone who understood how complicated the situation was. "We both deserve to be loved, and we are loved. Who else would do this for us?"

*

Kevin wasn't sure why he'd drunk this much, but he did know that if he was working tomorrow, there would be no way he'd have ended up outside, in a strange garden, throwing up into the compost bin.

"Are you okay?" Kevin didn't recognise the stranger's voice, but he couldn't really remember all the people he'd spoken to this evening.

"I'm good." Kevin felt the bile burn at his throat, he retched until he was gasping for air. "I'm good now."

"Do you want to sit for a minute?"

The stranger helped him to the little garden bench, it was a warm summer's evening, just a hint of a chill in the air, a nod to autumn that was just around the corner.

"Thanks." Kevin wasn't sure why the stranger was being nice to him but he was grateful for it.

"I'm Stoffel."

"Kevin." He thought about offering his hand but considering he'd just used it to wipe his mouth it probably wasn't a good idea. "I… I broke up with my girlfriend. She got tired of me never being home."

Stoffel nodded and rested his hand on Kevin's knee.

And Kevin told him everything. How his job got in the way of things and she just didn't understand that fires weren't considerate enough to take his plans into account. He loved his job and he wasn't going to be made to feel bad about it, and he definitely wasn't going to be emotionally manipulated over it. So he'd chose the one he loved more – his job.

"I'm sorry."

Stoffel gave Kevin a hug and he cuddled in, enjoying the comfort of it. "Thank you, for listening. I feel much better."

"Anytime." Stoffel handed him a card and Kevin stared at it.

"You look too hot to be an IT guy." Kevin laughed at his own joke and Stoffel joined in. Part of him wanted to just kiss him but the other half knew it was in no fit state to be making these decisions.

"Are you ready to go?" Marcus winced when he saw the state that Kevin was in, but at least he was still conscious, he should have known that bringing him to a party when he was dealing with his break-up was a bad idea. "Stoffel?"

"Marcus, hi." Stoffel smiled and Marcus marvelled at the fact that it was such a small world. "I've taken good care of Kevin."

Marcus and Stoffel helped Kevin to the car, he offered Stoffel a lift but he was waiting on some friends. At least he got a chance to introduce him to Dany, although he left out the bit about how it would probably be Stoffel doing the interviews for the job at the police headquarters. He didn't want Dany to think that he was being pitied, he genuinely thought that he'd be good at the job, and now that he was staying, it would be nice stable job for him.

*

The sound of the tv quietly playing in the distance was there as Marcus tried to sleep, he was restless but not because of the noise, but because of what Nico had told him, that he'd seen Dany crying and Esteban had comforted him.

He'd wanted to say something on the way home but Kevin was there, and looking quite drunk, so that had been their main concern. They'd put Kevin to bed and now Dany was asleep, his nose twitching as he dreamt and Marcus stroked his hair, waiting for him to be peaceful.

Marcus cuddled in next to him and whispered, "I love you," but Dany didn't wake.

*

Esteban was in bed, reading a book as Nico slid in next to him. The place seemed eerily quiet now that the party guests had left. The picture of the two of them was sitting on the bedside table and Esteban had been glad that he'd got to give Nico his birthday present in person.

"What are you thinking about?" Nico asked, the lines on Esteban's brow were prominent and he only had that face when he was thinking about troubling things.

"I love you." Esteban stared at Nico, trying to gauge his reaction. "I know I was never brave enough to ask you out or to make a move but I've had a crush on you for a while… And now I feel like I've cheated my way into your life, that I forced your hand and if it wasn't for that we still wouldn't be together."

Nico's lips were on his, comforting him while he tried to process what was going on, what he could say to make everything better.

"You didn't force me, I'm a grown up and it was my decision. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think that we had a chance of a successful marriage. And so what if we haven't done things in the right order, who cares?" Nico held his hand and looked him straight in the eyes. "I love you, and I love that you're my husband."

Esteban felt tears well up in his eyes. He went to speak but nothing came out.

"You make me smile when I'm sad, you keep me company when I'm lonely and you make the best cakes." Nico smiled and it made Esteban laugh, the tears streaming down his face now tears of joy. "Maybe we wouldn't have got here as quickly but I know that this was always our future."

Esteban snuggled in against Nico, wrapped up in his big strong arms as he drifted off to sleep, finally at peace with his situation. It may not be the fairy tale that he'd dreamed of, but it was a solid relationship built on love and trust, and he couldn't ask for any more than that.

***

Dany had spent all morning preparing for his interview. He'd gone over everything that he could find out about the police headquarters and he'd made sure that all his knowledge was at the front of his mind. Dany had read as many articles as he could about the unique problems of IT security for law enforcement and emergency services so that he could show that he really wanted this job. And he did really want the job.

Not that it had stopped him applying for other jobs, now that he'd got a second chance he was still determined to repay Marcus, even if that meant just covering his half of the bills for now. Although it looked like Kevin was going to be staying with them long term so, he only really needed a job that covered a third of the bills, which was manageable.

But to have a job that he wanted to do, that he would enjoy doing - that was the goal.

He checked his reflection in the mirror and smiled at himself, it was the same suit that he'd got married in, and every time he remembered that he had a husband, it brought joy to his soul.

*

The interview was a breeze and Dany had been surprised to see Marcus' friend, Stoffel, doing the interviews. Although it had helped put him at ease, which he was grateful for. The way Stoffel had smiled at him after the interview had made him feel confident about his chances and he was told that he should hear in the next couple of weeks, no matter what the outcome.

Dany had rushed home and changed into scruffier clothes, so that he could make a cake for Marcus. It was his birthday and although he was working a double today, some cruel twist of fate, he would be home before it was tomorrow, so they would have a chance to celebrate together.

With a lack of money he wasn't able to get Marcus a birthday present, but a cake and a kiss would have to do. Dany had found himself thinking about what it would be like to kiss Marcus more and more lately, and yet he couldn't tell if Marcus was interested, he was friendly with everyone and he didn't seem to treat Dany differently.

He was sure that it was just him projecting his own feelings onto Marcus, he felt that he was reading too much into it, but he'd taken Esteban's advice to heart and he was just going to take it slow, see how things went and not rush anything.

*

The clock ticked over to read midnight and Marcus still wasn't home, so Dany slunk into bed, leaving the cake on the table with a note.

Marcus crawled in at gone one in the morning and he smiled when he saw the cake that Dany had made for him. When he read the note he felt so lucky to have Dany as his husband, and he wondered if he should make a move, but he didn't want Dany to feel that he had to, that Marcus was expecting it in return for what he did.

He curled up next to Dany in bed, just glad to have the company and someone who would make him cake.

*

The next morning Marcus woke to find that Dany was gone and it wasn't morning any longer. He saw a note sitting on the bedside table with Dany's familiar handwriting on it.

_Morning sleeping beauty, hope you liked the cake. I've gone to help Kevin find new clothes for his date tonight, I'll hopefully be back before you head to work._

There was an L scribbled out and after it simply – _Dany x_

Marcus wondered what Dany was going to write after that L, was it going to be 'love you' or was it simply a sentence that he realised he didn't need. They were going to need to talk about this soon, for he'd found that Dany was taking over his thoughts, always on his mind and he wasn't sure how much longer he could last before blurting it all out, telling him everything.

***

"Do you want to get out of here?" Those were the words that Kevin had been waiting to hear all night, not that dinner wasn't lovely, but they'd been eyeing each other up all night and the sexual tension was killing him.

"My place is empty," Kevin said, he was sure that Marcus and Dany had said that they were going out for the evening.

Stoffel paid for dinner and drove them back to the flat, it was deserted at there had been no need for small talk, or offering coffee that would never be drank. They headed straight for the bedroom, frantic kisses and equally frantic hands pawing at clothing as they got naked as quickly as possible.

Kevin unbuttoned his shirt and smiled as Stoffel gasped at his tattoo, his fingers automatically reaching out to trace it as Kevin felt the sparks of electricity fly through his body, leaving every hair standing on end. Along with something else.

The bulge in his trousers was sizable and Stoffel gave him a messy kiss before sinking to his knees, yanking Kevin's jeans and boxers down and pushing him back on to the bed. Kevin spread his legs wide, wanted Stoffel to be in no doubt that he was going to top tonight. Having a girlfriend who had laughed when he'd suggested a strap-on had meant that he had to forgo this pleasure for a while, but he didn't have to wait any longer.

Stoffel's lips were soft and moist around his cock and he arched his back, thrusting deeper as he worked away, opening Kevin up as he sucked him, leaving him on the brink of orgasm but never letting him come.

"Do you want to go on top?" Stoffel asked, kissing the side of Kevin's neck as he pressed their bodies together, his hard cock leaking over his abs.

"As long as I have your cock inside me I don't care what position we're in." Kevin rolled them so that he was on top, tearing open the condom and listening to Stoffel groan as he put it on before positioning himself so that he was ready to sink down on Stoffel's cock.

Stoffel dragged him into a messy kiss, tongues everywhere as Kevin eased himself down onto Stoffel's thick cock, letting it fill him up, hit all those spots that had been neglected for so long and he cried out in pleasure, thanking Stoffel for his glorious cock in Danish, glad that he didn't understand a word.

It didn't take long for him to set up a nice pace, each rock of his hips had Stoffel's cock nudging that spot and he was begging for his release as he gripped Stoffel's shoulders tight, his bright blue eyes staring into his soul and that was all it took to have him coming hard, untouched, it felt so good and he couldn't believe how much he'd missed this, how much he'd wanted it.

Kevin was limp in Stoffel's arms, both still shuddering and twitching with the aftershocks of their orgasms, their breathing ragged and hearts pounding. Kevin felt like he'd finally managed to scratch an itch that had been bothering him for months. He had Stoffel's warm body pressed against his, holding him tight as he fell asleep with a big grin on his face and he slept soundly for the first time in a long while.

*

Marcus and Dany opened the door quietly since it was so late, they'd had a lovely evening at the cinema, celebrating Marcus' birthday properly. What they didn't expect to hear when they got home was Kevin screaming 'oh my god' over and over again, his date having clearly gone well.

Dany had curled up, trying to block the noises out when he felt the bed shudder, the sound of skin on skin and he knew that Marcus was playing with himself. He wanted just to turn over, ask if he wanted a hand, but Marcus must have assumed he was asleep, and he didn't want to startle him, so he let him finish up, cuddling into him afterwards and Dany could feel the sticky residue left on him as he pressed against his back.

That night he dreamt of what it would be like to make love to Marcus, and he woke up with a hard on. Luckily Marcus slept like the dead so he was fine to sneak out and jerk off in the shower, gasping through his orgasm as the water washed over him, and he knew that his crush on Marcus had got out of hand. The questions was, what was he going to do about it?

***

Dany was sitting on the sofa, his whole body buzzing with excitement as he waited for Marcus to get home. He'd got a call from Stoffel today saying that he'd got the job, and would he be happy to start on the nineteenth, which he'd agreed to without hesitation.

Dany had thanked Stoffel so many times that it was starting to border on crazy and he managed to end the call by saying that he'd see him on the nineteenth, although from what Kevin had told him he was sure that he'd be seeing Stoffel around before they started working together. He'd seen him sneaking out a few mornings ago and he was sure that it wasn't going to be the last time.

He thought about calling Marcus but he knew that he probably wouldn't get the message until after his shift was over so he tried to watch a movie to distract himself but he found himself daydreaming about telling Marcus how he felt, and he decided that now he'd got a job, some stability of his own, he was going to tell Marcus everything and deal with the consequences.

When he heard the lock of the front door click open he bolted towards it like a puppy happy that its master was home and the second Marcus saw his smile he rushed over to hug Dany.

"I got it. I got the job." Dany held Marcus tight, his familiar scent filling his nose, along with the faint hint of smoke that seemed to follow him around.

"I'm so proud of you. I knew you could do it." Marcus pulled back so that he could stare at Dany and he knew that this was his chance.

Dany leant in to press his lips against Marcus' and time seemed to slow as they stood there, waiting for the other to make a move. Marcus ran his hand through Dany's hair, resting his hand on the back of his head as he deepened the kiss, licking up all the little gasps and moans falling from those pouty lips and Marcus wanted nothing more than to surround himself with all the noises that Dany would make when he was satisfied.

Marcus kissed Dany until he was dizzy, before lifting him over his shoulder and carrying him to the bed. Dany laughed when he put him down and Marcus just wanted to dive in and ravage him, but he had to know that he wanted it, that he didn't feel obligated.

"We don't have to do this. You don't owe me anything."

Dany leant in for another kiss, before whispering, "I know. I want to."

Marcus nuzzled against him, he could feel the words that he'd wanted to tell Dany bubbling to the surface and he blurted them out. "I love you."

"I love you too." Dany couldn't believe how it had worked out, would he have ever had the courage to tell Marcus how he felt if they weren't married? But he couldn't change the past, not that he wanted to and he was going to savour every minute of it now that everything was out in the open.

"I was going to get a shower. Want to join me?" Marcus had the cheekiest smile and Dany couldn't help but kiss him again.

The shower was just big enough for the two of them and having Marcus wash him was so incredibly intimate, his fingers massaging his head as he shampooed his hair and then delicately washing the rest of him, ignoring the fact that he was rock hard and whimpering as he cleaned his cock, gently drawing back his foreskin as he swiped his thumb over the swollen tip.

Dany let out a moan and he was sure that he was going to come but Marcus stopped just in time. He switched the water off and took Dany's hand, leading him back to the bedroom, water dripping everywhere as they wandered through the flat, the chill of the cool autumn air causing Dany goose bumps and it sent a delightful shiver through his body.

Marcus motioned for Dany to lay out on the bed and by this point he was so aroused that he didn't care what Marcus wanted to do to him, he just wanted Marcus' body pressed against his until he was screaming his name in pleasure.

He watched carefully as Marcus positioned himself so that he could suck Dany, and Dany could suck him. Marcus pressed gentle kisses along the length of Dany's cock and he wrapped his hand around his own cock, offering Dany the last few inches.

Dany needed no encouragement and he wrapped his lips around the tip, listening to Marcus gasp as he flicked his tongue over the tip, hoping that it was good enough. He'd settled into a nice rhythm as Marcus took his entire cock into his mouth, and he knew that he wasn't going to last long at all with the warmth of his mouth and the amazing things that Marcus' tongue was doing to him.

Dany picked up the pace and he reached to play with Marcus' balls, caressing them as he sucked. His cock was throbbing and he felt the muscles tense as he shuddered in orgasm, coming into Marcus' mouth as his lips went slack and Marcus took one last thrust before his come was spilling into Dany's mouth, making him gag as he tried to swallow it all down.

"Oh god, Marcus." Dany lay panting, his chest heaving with each breath and he had never felt so good. Every brush of Marcus' lips against his skin felt like another orgasm and he writhed on the bed, loving every second of it.

"Feel good?" Marcus cuddled in next to him and Dany wasn't sure that he could form whole sentences yet, his mind still hazy with all the adrenaline running around his system.

Dany nodded, which was enough for Marcus to stop looking at him with a worried expression on his face. _Well that's one way to lose your virginity,_ Dany thought, and it was his last coherent thought before he drifted off to sleep.

***

"I've got a surprise for you." Nico was wandering around in just a towel and Esteban wondered why he wasn't cold. He'd been glad it was a mild November, so he didn't have to buy too many new winter clothes this year, although there was still time for the weather to change its mind. Although he was only wearing a dressing gown, and it wasn't particularly thick but there was something about all of Nico's exposed skin that made Esteban feel cold for him.

Esteban followed Nico through to the kitchen and was expecting to see cakes, or doughnuts, or some form of food related treat waiting for him, but there was just an envelope.

"Open it." Nico looked like a kid at Christmas and Esteban wondered what was inside. He opened it carefully and he saw a card folded over, like the kind that hold tickets, and that was when he saw what it was – two tickets to Mexico for over the Christmas holidays. "Since the office shuts down for ten days over Christmas and New Year, I thought it would be the perfect time to go home and visit your family. You've been saying how much you miss them, and I'd love to meet them in person."

Nico had spent lots of time talking on the phone to his parents and siblings, but it wasn't quite the same, and they were all still a little put out that they weren't invited to the wedding but he was sure that all would be forgiven after they met Nico.

Esteban was stunned into silence, he couldn't believe that Nico had done all this for him, and he just wanted to ravage him as way of thanks. And then he remembered that they were both naked and he was all slick and open from their session earlier on, which is why they'd both needed a bath.

He kissed Nico passionately as he let the dressing gown fall down, knocking Nico's towel away in the process. Esteban wrapped his legs around Nico's waist, without breaking the kiss that was leaving them both breathless and dizzy. Nico slammed Esteban against the wall and he nipped at Nico's lip to even the score, not that he didn't like it a little rough sometimes.

It didn't take long for Nico to line up, his warm cock pressing against his hole, and he slid in easily. Esteban threw his head back as Nico filled him up, banging his head against the wall and Nico kissed the side of his neck, giving him a minute before starting to thrust frantically, trapping Esteban's cock between their bodies as they rubbed against each other.

Nico groaned as he felt Esteban contract around him, shuddering with his fourth orgasm of the day and he went limp in Nico's arms, grin on his face as Nico carried him back to bed before licking him clean and cuddling in next to him.

"Good?" Nico nuzzled against Esteban, whispering how much he loved him as he stroked his oversensitive skin.

"I can't think of a better way to spend my Saturday."

***

Dany couldn't believe that it was Christmas already, their flat was filled with gifts for all the people that were coming round to spend the day with them and the smell of turkey and other meats filled the flat. Marcus had gone all out for Christmas this year and he was sure that it was because of him. Previous years he'd either gone back to his parents' house or they'd just had a quiet day together if his shifts meant that he couldn't go home on the day.

Kevin and Stoffel were spending the day, along with a few of Marcus' other firefighter friends, and it was going to be nice to have the company, after spending it alone last year. He'd declined Marcus' offer to go home with him, although now his parents assumed it was only because he didn't want to advertise their relationship. No-one had questioned the story that they'd been dating for a while first, since they lived together it all made perfect sense to people and it had been fun, telling tales of their early relationship when in fact it was things that had happened not long ago. But people didn't need to know that.

His new job had been amazing, he was so glad that everything had worked out for him and that he had the most amazing husband. That was the best gift that he could ever receive.

***

Nico couldn't believe that he was thirty, or that he'd been married for a year. It all seemed so surreal and yet he wouldn't change any of it for the world.

Esteban was putting the finishing touches on the cake, it was the third one that he'd made in as many weeks. He'd made one for Marcus and Dany buying their own place and taken it to the housewarming party, and he'd made his own birthday cake, even though Nico had told him that he would make it, but he'd got bored and wanted something to do so he'd baked, although they'd eaten so much of it that Nico had to make another one for the party.

Nico was letting all the guests in and when Esteban went through, he saw Marcus and Dany being affectionate, he was so glad that they'd managed to find a way to make things work. Dany still thanks Esteban for the advice that he gave, even though at the time, Esteban was sure that he'd made things worse.

There were so many smiling and happy faces, and none happier than Nico's, it was all that Esteban wanted for the rest of his life.

**Author's Note:**

> *and obviously none of this actually happened, it is all a figment of my twisted imagination ;)


End file.
